John 12:16-33

¹⁶His disciples did not understand all this at first; but, when Jesus had been exalted, then they remembered that these things had been said of him in scripture, and that they had done these things for him.

¹⁷Meanwhile the people who were with him, when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, were telling what they had seen.

¹⁸This, indeed, was why the crowd met him — because people had heard that he had given this sign of his mission.

¹⁹So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing! Why, all the world has run after him!”

²⁰Amongst those who were going up to worship at the Festival were some Greeks,

²¹who went to Philip of Bethsaida in Galilee, and said, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

²²Philip went and told Andrew, and then together they went and told Jesus.

²³This was his reply — “The time has come for the Son of Man to be exalted.

²⁴In truth I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains solitary; but, if it dies, it becomes fruitful.

²⁵A person who loves their life loses it; while someone who hates their life in the present world will preserve it for eternal life.

²⁶If someone is ready to serve me, let them follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be also. If a person is ready to serve me, my Father will honour them.

²⁷Now I am distressed at heart and what can I say? Father, bring me safe through this hour — yet it was for this reason that I came to this hour —

²⁸Father, honour your own name.” At this there came a voice from heaven, which said, “I have already honoured it, and I will honour it again.”

²⁹The crowd of bystanders, who heard the sound, said that it was thundering. Others said, “An angel has been speaking to him.”

³⁰“It was not for my sake that the voice came,” said Jesus, “but for yours.

³¹Now this world is on its trial. Now the Spirit that is ruling this world will be driven out;

³²and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

³³By these words he indicated what death he was destined to die.